Illusory device for advertising or amusement.



No. 805,117. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. G. T. BRADSHAW & O. M. THOMSON. ILLUSORY DEVICE FOR ADVERTISING OR AMUSEMENT.

APPLICATION II-LBD JAN. 27. 1905.

2 SEBBTS-SHEET l WITNESSES.

I N VENTORS,

ATTORNEY:

No. 805,117. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. 0. T. BRADSHAW & 0. M. THOMSON. ILLUSORY DEVICE FOR ADVERTISING OR AMUSEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. 1905.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I N VEN TORS. 0/24/20; Tfirads/mm W 0504/ /74. T 5017/ ewwfwe l ATTORNEY:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. BRADSHAW AND OSCAR M. THOMSON, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS TO THE ATTRACTO COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed January 2'7, 1905. Serial No. 242,919.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES T. BRADSHAW and OsoAR M. THOMSON, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illusory Devices for Advertising or Amusement, of which the following is a full, clear, and complete disclosure.

The object of our invention is the production of such a device that the same will have novel, interesting, and illusory features which will attract the attention of persons in the vicinity of the place where such device is located, either for advertising purposes or solely for the purposes of amusement.

A further object of our invention is to produce a device which will give the appearance of causing an object or a number of objects to appear and disappear without the aid of manual operation, and so that the object itself when in View will appear as the real embodiment of the same, so as to show the movement of living animals or objects having moving parts.

A further object of our-invention is to accomplish the above-mentioned results automatically and noiselessly and without danger of injury to the objects being exhibited or caused to appear and disappear.

Briefly, our invention com prises a casing or cabinet within which is placed the object to be caused to appear and disappear, said appearance and disappearance being accomplished by movable parts and the arrangement of mirrors to be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

Our invention also includes mechanism for automatically moving the object in relation to the mirrors at suitable intervals and also for causing a screen or curtain to cover the opening in the cabinet at the required times.

For a full, clear, and exact description of this embodiment of our invention reference may be had to the following specification, and to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved illusory device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, averticalsectional view thereof, taken substantially upon the line 3 3, Fig.

1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail, taken on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a casing or cabinet which is preferably rectangular in form, said cabinet being provided with a mirror 2 set diagonally within the same at substantially an angle of fortyfive degrees with the base and extending to substantially the center of the cabinet. Extending from side to side of the cabinet 1 and journaled in suitable bearings 3 is a bar or support 4, to which is rigidly attached a plurality of brackets or arms 5, the outer ends of which are provided with trunnions or similar pivot-bearings. otally supported the object or the casing for the object to be exhibited. In this case such object is represented as being a hollow glass prism 6, forming an aquarium or tank, within which may be placed fish or similar aquatic animals. The tank 6 being pivoted above its center of gravity will always be maintained in an upright position without regard to the position of the arms 5.

One end of the bar or support 4 is provided with a crank 7 or similar device for rotating said bar, said crank being attached to one end of a link 10, extending downwardly through the upright or support 9 for the casing or cabinet 1. The lower end of said link is connected with any suitable means for moving the same longitudinally to cause the bar 4 and crank 7 to revolve through an angle of slightly more than ninety degrees. Such mechanism, as indicated by 20, may be operated either by electricity or by a spring-motor and the time adjusted to actuate the parts at suitable intervals by means of suitably-devised cams or other mechanical devices, this mechanism not being an essential part of our invention. This operating mechanism 20 is preferably contained in a casing 21 upon the base or standard of the device.

The end of the bar or support 4 which is opposite to that carrying the crank 7 is preferably provided with means for counterbalancing the weight of the object carried by the arms 5 and allowing the same to come easily to rest without shock or jar. This means comprises a spiral springll, one end of which is rigidly attached to the bar 4 and the other Upon the arms 5 is piv-.

end to the upright 9, said spring being contained within one of the bearing-cases 3. It will be seen that when the bar 4 is rotated the spring 11 will be coiled more tightly, and as the tank 6 descends its weight will be more and more counterbalanced until the same comes lightly to rest in its lower position, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Suitable electric or other lights 12 may be provided, which will have a corresponding reflection 13 in the mirror 2, thereby giving the appearance of electric lights on the rear side of the cabinet corresponding to lights 14 placed in the upper portion thereof. It is obvious that the lights may be arranged in any other suitable manner as choice or particular use may indicate.

As means to cover the object within the cabinet during the change from its visible to invisible position we provide a screen or curtain, as indicated at 15, said screen or curtain being pivoted upon a suitable bracket, as indicated at 16, a spring 17 being provided to force said screen outwardly and downwardly when the same is released from its position adjacent one side of the cabinet 1. The screen 15 is preferably removably connected with its support 18, which support is also attached to the upper end of a link or rod 19, which passes downwardly and is connected with the operating mechanism 20 within the casing 21. This operating mechanism 20 is so adjusted that when the tank or other object 6 is being moved from one position to the other said screen will prevent the observers or audience from seeing what takes place during such movement.

The operation of our improved device is as follows: Supposing the tank 6 to be in the position indicated at dotted lines in Fig. 3, the

appearance from the front of the cabinet will be that of an empty box having a bar across the center and lights located as indicated in Fig. 1. After a suitable interval the operating mechanism causes the screen 15 to assume an upright position over the open side of the cabinet, immediately after which the tank or aquarium 6 is raised to its upper position above the bar 4. The screen 15 is then swung outwardly, so as to leave the opening in front of the cabinet free. The aquarium or tank 6 will then appear as indicated in Fig. 1. After a certain suitable period has elapsed to display the tank and the fish or other animals therein the screen 15 is again placed over the open side of the cabinet, after which the tank 16 is lowered to its original position. The screen 15 is then removed and the cabinet appears as an empty box, as first described. This operation is repeated at certain intervals, depending upon the arrangement and speed of the operating mechanism.

Having thus described this embodiment of our invention, it will be obvious that it is not limited to the use with a tank or aquarium herein described, for any object it is. desired to display or cause to appear and disappear may be substituted-such as, for instance, a series of pictures, signs, and other advertising devices. Neither do we wish to be limited to the exact form, arrangement, and proportion of parts herein described, for the same may be varied in a variety of ways without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention; but

\Vhat we claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an illusory device, the combination with a mirror, of a background, means for causing the reflection of said mirror to appear as a part of the said background, and means for causing an objectto be displayed to be placed successively at one side of and behind said mirror.

2. In an illusory device, the combination with a cabinet, of a mirror therein dividing said cabinet into compartments, one of said compartments being in the rear of said mirror, and means for causing an object to be displayed to be placed in and removed from the compartment at the rear of said mirror.

3. In an illusory device, the combination with a cabinet, of a mirror therein extending from one corner toward the center thereof, a movable support within said cabinet, a device to be displayed carried by said support, and means for causing said support to be moved so as to place said object successively behind and at one side of said mirror.

4. In an illusory device, the combination with a rectangular cabinet, of an inclined mirror extending from one corner thereof to the center of said cabinet, a rotatablesupport adjacent the inner edge of said mirror, an object to be displayed carried by said support, and means for oscillating said support to cause said object to be placed successively behind and at one side of said mirror.

5. In an illusory device, the combination with a cabinet, of a mirror extending from the lower rear angle thereof toward the center, an oscillatory bar extending from one-side to the other of said cabinet adjacent the edge of said mirror, a device to be displayed carried by said bar, and means for causing said bar to oscillate to place the said object at one side of and behind said mirror successively.

6. In an illusory device, the combination with a rotatable bar, a background, a mirror, means for causing the reflection of said mirror to appear as a part of said background, an object to be displayed carried by said bar, a coiled spring to compensate for the weight of said object carried by said bar, and means for oscillating said bar.

7. In an illusory device, the combination with a cabinet, of a mirror therein extending from one corner toward the center thereof, a movable support within said cabinet, device to be displayed carried by said support, means said mirror, means for closing the front of the cabinet While the object is moved from one position to the other.

In Witness whereof Wehave hereunto set our 5 hands this 26th day of January, 1905.

CHARLES T. BRADSHAW. OSCAR M. THOMSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. GRADY, EDW. W. VAELL, Jr. 

